Almanacs, Dictionaries, Encyclopedias and Other Reference Works
Almanacs
Atlases
Dictionaries
Directories
Encyclopedias
Handbooks
Image Databases
Indexes/Articles
Internet Searches
The following suggestions may prove helpful when you are working on a term paper or a class assignment. Start by consulting reference materials, as outlined below:
- For definitions of unfamiliar words, check a dictionary.
- To obtain an overview of the subject, read an article in an encyclopedia.
- To find pertinent facts, terms or statistics look at almanacs, handbooks, directories, indexes, atlases, etc.
- Find books on your topic in the Library by using the Library Catalog.
- For journal (magazine/periodical) articles search in a commercial database or paper index for citations. Access commercial databases from links on our home page.
- Search the Internet for information on your subject, using various search engines or going to particular sites. Remember to evaluate the information you find on the Internet for authoritativeness and timeliness.
- Use our Library Guides:
- Use the subject area guides for lists of relevant resources.
- Use the research strategies guides, such as this one and the suggestions described in Finding Articles.
- Use the style guides (on citation styles) in consultation with your instructor when you are writing your paper and citing your research.
Almanacs are annual publications that provide useful data and statistics on countries, historical events, movies, sports, holidays, etc. Yearbooks are also annual publications, with information limited to the events/facts of the year.
♦Almanac of American Politics. Ref. JK271 .B343 2008
Contains brief sketches of senators, representatives, and governors. It provides statistical information about the federal, state, and local governments. Also includes predictions about politics and politicians. Note: Earlier editions may be checked out of the library.
♦Europa World Yearbook. Ref. JN1 .E85. vols. 1-2
Newest copy is kept near the Information Desk. Contains detailed information on countries and international organizations of the world. Note: Earlier editions may be checked out of the library.
♦Facts on File Yearbook. Ref. D410 .F3
We have from 1941-2007.
♦Famous First Facts. Ref. AG5 .K315 1950
Provides information on "firsts" such as the first woman mayor or the inventor of the toothbrush. Arranged alphabetically by subject with an excellent index listing facts geographically, chronologically, and by personal name.
♦Guinness Book of World Records. Ref. AG243 .G87
Information on the tallest, fattest, smallest, etc., records of human achievement in the arts, scientific worlds and more. Note: 2009 edition is in reference room, but earlier year editions can be checked out of the library.
♦Statesman's Yearbook. Ref. JA51 .S7
Information on the politics, cultures and economies of the world. Online version available on Terminal #1 in the library.
♦Statistical Abstract of the United States. Ref. HA202
The Statistical Abstract contains general statistics for the United States. As each table indicates the source from which the information was obtained, it can be a valuable aid to locating more detailed statistical sources.
The most recent edition is kept near the Information Desk, and earlier editions in the circulating stacks. Also online from the Library Catalog's Linked Resources tab and online at the Census web site. (Note: Earlier statistical abstracts are also available at the Census Bureau site -- from "Publications" click on "statistical abstract" for access to older volumes back to the 1800s.)
♦World Almanac and Book of Facts. Ref. AY67.N5 W7
The 2005 edition is kept near the Information Desk. Contains statistical data, country, and employment statistics.
♦World Factbook. Ref. JA51 .N3
Most recent edition is kept near the Information Desk. Also online from our Library Catalog or directly from the CIA site. A compilation of facts, figures and maps of countries throughout the world.
Search for atlases in the Library Catalog using the subject term "atlases," or in combination with other subject terms or keywords. Atlases are collections of maps. The term is also used for compilations of other pictorial information (such as an atlas of microscopic hair characteristics), but this section deals only with maps. Some CIA produced maps are listed in the Library. Many are available online from the Linked Resources tab.
♦Atlas of Connecticut Topographic Maps. Ref. G1240.A8 1994 Look at the index map to find the number of the sheet that covers the area in which you are interested. Sheets are in numeric order. These are reduced scale, black and white reproductions of the topographic maps produced by the U.S. Geological Survey.
♦The National Atlas of the United States of America. Ref. G1200 .U57 1970 Also online. This resource includes geospatial and geostatistical data.
♦The CountryWatch database and CIA World Factbook include maps of regions of the world.
Dictionaries provide definitions of words. Specialized dictionaries explain the specialized meanings for words in a particular discipline (called "jargon") and are especially useful.
♦Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English. Ref. PE1628.C6 1990
♦Oxford English Dictionary. Ref. PE1625.O87 1989
♦American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language
Specialized Dictionaries
Look at our subject guides for reference materials in specific subject areas, including dictionaries. This is a sample of what we have. Search our Library Catalog in the advanced search option combining "dictionaries" as a subject term with other subject terms or keywords.
♦Dictionary of Accounting Terms. Ref. HF5621 .S54 2000
♦Dictionary of Psychology. Ref. BF31 .C65 2001
♦The Facts on File Dictionary of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering.
Ref. TP248.16.S84 2001
♦Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary. Ref. QD5 .C5 1993
♦Mosby's Medical Dictionary (Online in the Health and Wellness Resource Center database from iCONN.)
Directories are lists with additional information. The phone book is a directory. A sample of others follows:
♦Directory of Corporate Affiliations [database] Provides information on Companies. Search by NAICS code and other variables, and find parent/subsidiary relationships between companies.
♦ReferenceUSA [database] A Directory of US companies with contact information, size, and sales. Includes small businesses not included in other databases. Search by geographic area (zip code, county, etc.) SIC or NAICS code.
♦Encyclopedia of Associations. Ref. AS8 .E53 The latest edition that we own is kept near the Information Desk. The Business & Company Resource Center contains the latest information drawn from the Encyclopedia of Associations. Use the Advanced Search mode and choose "Associations" from the drop down box.
♦World of Learning. Ref. AS2 .W6
A directory of educational institutions around the world. Latest in the reference stacks; earlier editions in the circulating stacks.
♦Medical Directory
Online in the Health & Wellness Resource Center database.
An encyclopedia is often a good place to start research on a subject. Encyclopedias can provide comprehensive introductions to subjects and are valuable sources for a multitude of factual information. General encyclopedias provide brief information on a wide range of subjects, giving you an overview, while specialized encyclopedias offer more in-depth coverage of specialized fields. A tip: consult the encyclopedia's index first to locate all of the references on your topic. Some examples include:
General Encyclopedias
♦The Columbia Encyclopedia is freely available online. Click on the Bibliographic Record link listed under Contents for a citation. The Columbia Encyclopedia is also available in print in the Library, kept near the Information desk. Ref. AG5 .C725 2000
♦Encyclopedia Americana. Ref. AE5 .E333 The newest edition is kept in the reference room. Other earlier editions may be checked out from the circulation collection upstairs.
♦Encyclopedia Britannica. Ref. AE 5 .E363. The newest edition is kept in the reference room. Other earlier editions may be checked out from the circulation collection upstairs.
Composed of the following:
- Macropaedia (knowledge in depth)
- Micropaedia (ready reference and index)
- Propaedia (outline of knowledge)
♦World Book Encyclopedia. AE5 .W55
Specialized Encyclopedias
Business
♦Advertising Age Encyclopedia of Advertising. Ref. HF5803 .A38 2003
♦Encyclopedia of American Industries. Ref. HC102.E53 2001 v. 1-2 Other earlier editions may be checked out from the circulation collection upstairs.
♦Encyclopedia of Small Business Ref. HD62.7.H553 1998 v. 1-2 The 2007 edition is online in the database E-Books for Colleges.
♦Encyclopedia of Leadership: A Practical Guide to Popular Leadership Theories and Techniques. Ref. HD57.7.H525 2001
♦Encyclopedia of US Economic History online from the database E-Books for Colleges and in print: Ref. HC102 .G35 1999.
♦International Encyclopedia of the Stock Market. Ref. HG4551.I5 1999
Education
♦American Educators' Encyclopedia. Ref. LB15 .D37
♦Encyclopedia of Education. Ref. LB15 .E47 Articles deal with the history, theory, research and philosophy, as well as the structure and fabric of education. Emphasis is on American education.
♦Encyclopedia of Educational Research. Ref. LB15 .E48 1992 Written for college students, researchers, practitioners, and general readers. Topics on societal issues such as AIDS education are included.
Humanities
♦ Encyclopedia of African-American culture and history. Ref. E185 .E54 1995
Two-thirds of this work is comprised of biographies dating back to the seventeenth century. The remaining entries have to do with events, historical eras, legal cases, areas of cultural achievement, profession, sports, and places.
♦Catholic Encyclopedia. Ref. BX841 .C25 1913
Strong areas are religion, theology and philosophy, but also cover literature and history. Includes biographies and excellent illustrations.
♦Encyclopedia of Historic Places. Ref. D9 .C29 1984
♦Encyclopedia of World Art. Ref. N31 .E533
♦Great Soviet Encyclopedia. Ref. AE5 .B58
♦New Grove Dictionary of American Music. Ref. ML101.U6 N48
The articles provide detailed information on music and musicians, including classical, popular and folk.
♦New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Ref. ML100 .N48 v. 1-20
While more than half the entries are for composers, also included are performers, scholars, theorists, patrons and publishers of music, as well as other artists whose works relate to music.
♦New Illustrated Encyclopedia of World History. Ref. D21 .L276
Science
♦Beacham's Guide to the Endangered Species of North America in the E-Books for Colleges database.
♦Biology in the E-Books for Colleges database.
♦Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine in the E-Books for Colleges database.
♦Encyclopedia of Cancer in the E-Books for Colleges database.
♦Encyclopedia of Dietary Supplements
♦Encyclopedia of Environmental Science. Ref. GE10 .M66 2000
♦Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders in the E-Books for Colleges database.
♦Encyclopedia of Medicine in the E-Books for Colleges database.
♦Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia. Ref. QL3 .G7813
♦The International Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. Ref. Q121 .I48 1999
♦Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology. Ref. TP9 .E685
♦Larousse Encyclopedia of Astronomy. Ref. QB44 .R883
♦McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology. Ref. Q121 .M3
Provides coverage for all disciplines in science and engineering. Entries are alphabetically arranged, including a definition, general overview of the subject, and cross-references to other articles.
♦Merck Index: An Encyclopedia of Chemicals, Drugs, and Biologicals.
Ref. RS51 .M4 2001
♦New Larousse Encyclopedia of Animal Life. Ref. QL50 .L32
Animal species are divided into groups of related forms. Also includes a glossary, further reading list and index.
♦Van Nostrand's Scientific Encyclopedia. Ref. Q121 .V3
Topical coverage includes animal life, chemistry, engineering sciences, medicine, and space sciences. Contains tables, charts, and references.
♦World of Earth Science in the E-Books for Colleges database.
Social Sciences
♦Advertising Age: Encyclopedia of Advertising. Ref. HF5803 .A38 2003
♦Encyclopedia of American Crime. Ref. HV6789 .S54 2001
♦Encyclopedia of American Political History. Ref. E183 .E5
Encyclopedia of Assassinations. Ref. HV6278 .S54 2001
♦Encyclopedia of Crime & Justice. Ref. HV6017 .E52
Provides information on criminal behavior, the prevention of crime, the treatment of criminals, and the criminal justice system. Broad subject headings, glossary of terms and index.
♦Encyclopedia of Popular Culture in the database E-Books for Colleges.
♦Encyclopedia of Psychology. Ref. BF31 .E52 1994 More than 2,100 signed articles on topics and persons in all areas of psychology.
♦Encyclopedia of Forensic Sciences. Ref. HV8073 .E58 2000
♦Encyclopedia of Organized Crime in the United States. Ref. HV6446 .K43 2000
♦Encyclopedia of Serial Killers. Ref. HV6245 .N49 2000
♦Encyclopedia of Urban America. Ref. HT123 .E5 1998
♦Encyclopedia of Urban Planning. Ref. HT166 .E5
♦Historical Encyclopedia of World Slavery. Ref. HT861 .H57 1997
♦International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. Ref. H40.A2.I5
♦World Encyclopedia of Cities. Ref. HT108.5.K87 1994 v. 1-2
♦World Encyclopedia of Political Systems & Parties. Ref. JF2011 .D44
Arranged alphabetically by country; describes system of government and history.
A handbook is a concise manual or reference book that provides specific information or instruction about a subject. A handbook can be used to check on data or to provide guidance for a research paper or project. Handbooks employ tables, graphs and symbols. A sample of what we have follows:
♦CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. Ref. QD65 .C87 A reference manual of chemical and physical data. Also online as a subscription database: Handbook of Chemistry and Physics Online.
♦Handbook of Industrial Engineering. Ref. T56.23.H36 Chapters on information technology, computer-integrated business, manufacturing engineering, organizational design and other topics. Note: Many other handbooks on engineering and chemistry are in the following two databases: ENGnetBASE and Knovel Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Collection
♦Handbook of Manual Functions with Formulas Graphs and Mathematical Tables in the Knovel K-Essentials database.
♦McGraw-Hill Recycling Handbook. Ref. TD794.5.L84 1993
♦Manual of Clinical Periodontics in the Lexi-Comp database. Also in the circulating collection: RK361 .S476 2007
♦National Electrical Code Handbook. Ref. TK260 .N464 2005
♦Occupational Outlook Handbook. Ref. HF5381 .U62 The most recent edition is in the reference room, with older editions in the circulation collection. Also online at the Bureau of Labor Statistics site. Each article describes what the job is likely to offer in advancement, employment, earnings, and working conditions.
♦O*Net Database contains information on hundreds of standardized and occupation-specific descriptors. The Occupational Information Network (O*NET) is being developed under the sponsorship of the US Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA) through a grant to the North Carolina Employment Security Commission.
♦Standard Handbook of Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal. Ref. TD1032 .S73 1998
♦Environmental Remediation Technologies (165.3) Student Manual. EP1.8:R 28/7/Student/2002 Microfiche. [GovDoc]: fill in a request form at the Information Desk.
Image Databases
Subscription Database
Associated Press (AP) Photo Archive
Internet Resources
NYPL Digital Gallery (New York Public Library)
Paper and electronic indexes to periodical literature allow you to search for citations to articles by author, title, and subject, so you don't have to thumb through years' worth of individual periodicals. Our Finding Articles guide describes the use of print and electronic indexes, and lists some of our major ones. Note: Most online databases are restricted to currently enrolled UNH students, faculty and staff. Our Library Guide on Electronic Resources provides an annotated alphabetical list of databases.
No single Internet search engine will retrieve everything on the Internet. Here are a few to get you started.
General Search Engines
Google
Metacrawler
Yahoo!
Librarians' Internet Index
Encyclopedias & Dictionaries
Infoplease "A comprehensive reference source that combines the contents of an encyclopedia, a dictionary, an atlas, and several almanacs loaded with statistics, facts, and historical records. A single search engine allows you to search all these sources at once"--from the website.
Your Dictionary.com A plethora of links to specialty dictionaries on numerous topics, such as accounting, business, computing, and philosophy.
Encyclopedia Smithsonian Explore topics within three broad categories: Art & Design, History & Culture, and Science & Technology.
Government Information
Google U.S. Government Search Google's search engine designed specifically to retrieve government web sites and publications on all topics.
Maps
Atlapedia Online Provides world maps and country information from A-Z.
National Geographic's MapMachine Offers searchable theme maps such as topographic (U.S.), road maps, satellite and more.
Scientific Information
Scirus A science search engine that acts as an index to scientific literature on the Internet, including full text of open access journals, citations to scientific literature and web sites.
Science.gov Allows you to search by subject or specific database (such as Agricola) or across several government databases on the Internet for reports and periodical citations.
Scholarly Information
Google Scholar A search engine for researchers.
Any Questions? Come to the Information Desk, call us 203-932-7189 or e-mail us.
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